, 1887-08-09
STRIKING FOR LIBERTY
Bold Attempt at Wholesale Jail De-
livery frustrated.
A Proposed Sunday Celebration
Postponed.
Mccoy, Watson, Hunter and ZONES
the Leaders.
A Change In Cell Mates Exposes
the Plot.

For several days previous to the recent
attempt it has been surmised by the off
GERS that a break was contemplated by a
number of the desperate criminals con-
fined in the Jail. During his former in
generation, Leroy, horse thief, had en-
deavored to regain his liberty by severing
bars of the corridor with a steel shoe
shank. Several DAYS ago two pieces OF
cast iron which had been sawed, evident,
ly experimentally, were found in the cell
of Jones, burglar and sneak thief. At
that time, and upon several occasions
since, the apartments of all prisoners have
been carefully searched, but no other evi
dences of tools concealed were discovered,
the examinations being greatly handi-
capped by the large mattresses in the
cells.
From conversations between the pris-
oners overheard by the officers it was
learned that a break was planned for
Sunday evening, but at just what hour
was not ascertained. About 6 o'clock
Deputy Ben Smalley locked up as usual and
left, supposing that every prisoner was in
his cell. Sheriff and Oscar Sharpless
stationed themselves zeal the grating be-
tween the Jail proper and the dining room
of the residence in the rear. During a
period OF two or more hours they OBJ
served nothing unusual about the place
and entered the jail to see that all was
perfectly quiet. From appearances an
immediate Jail delivery was highly i'm
probable, if not an absolutely absurd idea.
Nearing the cell of Mccoy, the Lusk
murderer and Texas fugitive, Sheriff
Sharpless called to him, saying: Come
here Mccoy [ have a letter for you"
Phil. Watson, who is held as an accessory
to the murder of Gum and occupied
quarters with Mccoy, replied: bill has
been sick to-day, Mr.. Sharpless, and is
asleep. don't like to disturb him."
The sheriff suspicious were aroused, but
he left the man lying on the floor, who
was afterwards discovered to be Everett,
charged with the mysterious murder of
Rice, near Fort Laramie, and proceeded
to the cell of Brennan and Williams.
thieves. Light up your room, Brennan"
ordered the officer. Il have no matches, "
responded the sneak thief. Just turn up
the lamp, it is already lighted" After
the order had been repeated the command
was reluctantly complied with. 1t was at
this moment that the officer became salts
fed that he had discovered from what
quarter the anticipated break was to be
expected, for crouching behind a mattress
in the northwest corner of the cell was
Mccoy, the reputed i'll man, who had
changed his location for very obvious
reasons.
The sheriff and his deputy then began
examining the doors OF the cells and dis
covered that the doors of four cells
facing the east had been tempered with.
The prisoners had naturally selected the
weakest portion of the doors to operate
upon. The hinge bolts had been almost
severed, and but a slight effort was re
quired upon the part of a reasonably
strong man to lay the doors upon the
floor. This accomplished, it would be but
a few minutes work with the fine steel
saw used to cut a bar or two and escape
from the corridor surrounding the cells.
Escape would then be comparatively easy,
though just what course the prisoners in
tended to pursue after getting outside the
corridors is not known.
So soon as POSSIBLE after the discovery
of the work performed by the industrious
iail-birds, Herman Haas, the blacksmith,
commenced repairing the damage, and
did not finish until last evening.
In addition to manufacturing new
hinges for the doors, Mr.. Haas orna-
mented the arms and legs of the follow.
ing named criminals with bracelets and
hobbies:
Mccoy, Texas desperate and murderer
of Chas. Gum at Lusk.
Richard Brennan, the sneak thief who
is serving a sentence for the theft of an
overcoat from the Inter-Ocean hotel last
winter.
Carr, alias Jones, general thief and
robber, under $500 bonds.
Phil. Watson, indicted as accessory
with Mccoy in the murder of Gum.
Howard Hunter, horse thief, forger and
general crook, who is suspected of com
plicity in herobbery of United States Pay.
master Bash at Antelope Springs, Albany
county, three months ago. The latter was
taken to Laramie and confined in the
United States penitentiary at that point
by Marshal Carr yesterday.
Twelve of the most desperate charac-
tiers ever confined in the Laramie county
jail would have been liberated had not
the plan been nipped in the bud by the
vigilance of the watchful officers. They
are: Phil Watson, VIM. Mccoy, Brennan,
Carr alias Jones, Hunter, Sterling, Will
liams, Ketchum, Germs, Leroy; Smith
and Lynch. The officers are confident
that Tumble, who is under sentence of
lootb Lnnuv otL;. Sc ~, 49,